Draft
Chapter 2. Stakeholder Issues
This chapter lists the issues identified by the Stakeholders (see below, 2A. List of Stakeholder Issues). In addition to this list, this chapter includes a consolidated grouping of issues (see below, 2B. Stakeholder Issues-Consolidated Grouping). Appendix A has a further explanation of each of the issues to clarify exactly what was meant. These clarifications were included since a single sentence could be interpreted in multiple ways. Appendix A also lists the issues identified by the Project’s Policy and Steering Committees. For more information on the various committees, see Chapter 1.
2.A. List of Stakeholder Issues
The Stakeholder Committee gave a balanced, diverse perspective representing community input to the planning process. This breadth of representation on the Committee was essential to making a successful plan the entire community can support. They are also important for making sure the plan gets implemented by garnering community support and speaking at public hearings. See Appendix C for its membership.
Each Stakeholder was asked to think about their issues in the Watershed before coming to their second meeting. Each Individual was given 3 minutes to speak, and all members present participated. The Stakeholders spent several months adding to the list, rewording issues, and discussing how they wanted the list organized. In order to most efficiently utilize the Stakeholders’ time, they were aided by Project Staff acting as first writer and secretary, with final say over content lying with the Stakeholders. They finalized the list on January 10, 2005.
Since the Stakeholders represent the greater BooneCounty community, this listing of their issues places the Watershed in its societal context. The list of issues also forms the foundation of the Stakeholders’ work by showing what needs to be considered in the planning process.
2.A.1. PROPERTY RIGHTS
1. Property rights: people want to have the choice to do what they want to with their property.
2. Property rights: what one property owner chooses to do on their property should not adversely affect another person’s use of their respective property.
3. A significant portion of the watershed is public land, and therefore a larger group of people have an interest in that property.
4. Affected parties need notice of what is going on (i.e. notice of public meetings) in order to assure good public participation.
5. Landowners need to defend themselves from groups that try to restrict them.
6. There is a need to integrate the future use of the watershed in such a manner as to allow for reasonable development while not infringing upon property owners’ rights.
2.A.2. STREAMS/CONSERVATION
7. Devil’s Icebox Cave Branch is getting muddier.
8. There is higher and more frequent flooding than used to occur for a given amount of rain, bringing in garbage and moving sand bars; this also causes aquatic habitat destruction and subsequent lower low flows.
9. Urbanization can cause water quality degradation in streams.
10. Endangered species could become eliminated from within the watershed.
11. The Outstanding State Resource Waters (Bass, Turkey, Bonne Femme, Gans Creeks, and Devil’s Icebox Cave Branch) demand special protection.
12. Potential exists for a toxic spill that could negatively impact a stream.
13. Small acreage landowners need to address the issue of erosion from overgrazed horse pastures (sometimes to the extreme of being bare).
14. Erosion in road right of ways is a serious problem that needs to be addressed on both public and private land.
15. Many BMP's have been installed on crop and pasture land in the watershed, but there is always a need for additional BMP's as needs arise.
16. It is important to protect the unique biological diversity (plant and animal) in the watershed.
17. Much of this watershed is particularly environmentally sensitive because of the high number of karst structures (sinkholes, caves, springs, and losing streams) that it has; this makes the watershed very vulnerable to increased levels of contaminants and stormwater runoff.
18. It is important to have plentiful drinking water that is of good quality, therefore it needs to be protected.
2.A.3. STANDARDS AND ORDINANCES
19. It is important to have standards not based on impervious cover, but on Best Management Practices (BMPs); there is science indicating impervious cover can be mitigated.
20. Impervious surfaces can degrade streams and there is no clear science indicating they can be fully mitigated; therefore, in order to protect streams, impervious cover needs to be addressed in any standards.
21. Boone County, and the Cities of Columbia and Ashland, need to develop good stormwater management plans and ordnances in order to set good standards for the future development of this watershed; the standards should be meaningful (and not arbitrary), and designed so that going into a project everyone knows what the rules are.
22. Water quality should be protected without putting a strict ban on development.
23. Some flexibility of recommendations and standards is needed.
24. We need to develop a watershed-based plan that makes use of the best scientific data, as well as the best watershed plans from other communities, that will provide the best chance to protect the Greater Bonne Femme Watershed.
25. Much of the stream can be protected with a buffering situation. Other portions of the stream would not likely be sufficiently protected with any amount of buffering.
26. County zoning encourages development.
27. Development should be given incentives to occur in areas with adequate infrastructure and discouraged in less suitable areas.
28. Development should be encouraged in less environmentally sensitive areas and discouraged in more environmentally sensitive areas.
29. Erosion problems and stormwater need to be addressed in existing developed areas.
30. Guidelines for installing and maintaining BMP’s need to be established. SWCD, NRCS, MDC, DNR already have existing specifications for many practices.
2.A.4. HEALTH
31. It is important never to see a sign posted warning people to stay out of a stream because of the quality of the water.
32. Failing onsite sewage systems contaminate streams with fecal material (which is a human health hazard).
2.A.5. SCIENCE
33. Science is inexact.
34. There is a need to track sources of contaminants (i.e. microbial source tracking) in order to base long terms plans on good information and not guesses.
35. Good mapping of sinkholes is needed.
36. Facts and data should lead process, not biased opinion.
37. It is important not to base decisions on studies that have not had some type of review by a board of peers.
2.A.6. EDUCATION
38. There is a need to educate about why better practices are important to conserve resources, and about the differences between loess and karst.
39. Recreational use and enjoyment of public lands (RockBridge and Three Creeks) is at stake.
40. Educational opportunities concerning stream ecology could be lost affecting over 2,000 students each year who visit RockBridgeMemorialState Park.
41. It is important to educate people about the issues and rights of land owners within the watershed.
2.A.7. AGRICULTURE
42. Maintaining agricultural productivity is important.
43. Agriculture-related soil erosion causes problems.
44. Excess agricultural chemicals and nutrients are emitted to streams, thereby polluting them.
45. Livestock have open access to streams, which accelerates streambank erosion and increases fecal bacterial concentrations in the streams.
46. There is a need for a farmland preservation program since many people value open land and green space.
47. Farms that use good agricultural practices are a benefit to the watershed.
2.B. Stakeholder Issues -Consolidated Grouping
A Stakeholder devised this grouping in order to help him better see the bigger picture of how the issues were related and how to work with them. The Stakeholder Committee decided to adopt the regrouping for inclusion in the plan. This section organizes the above issues into three sections:
- Property Rights
- Ecological/Public Interests
- How to Achieve Balance
Many of the concerns listed by members overlap between ecological interests and the rights of the people who own land within the project watershed ; thus, many of the issues are cited under more than one of the three sections. Note that to maintain consistency between lists, the issues listed below have the same numbers as in the preceding section.
2.B.1. Property Rights
People who own property expect and have the legal right to do what they want to with their property within the local ordinances and as long as their actions do not degrade the value or infringe on their neighbors’ property use. As long as uses do not violate the law (federal, state and county), how property owners use their land is something they consider to be their business and do not feel that anyone else should have the right to tell them what to do. The numbered issues that are relevant are: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, 13, 14, 15, 22, 24, 25, 29, 32, 44, 45.
1. Property rights: people want to have the choice to do what they want to with their property.
But, 2. Property rights: what one property owner chooses to do on their property should not adversely affect another person’s use of their respective property.
For example, 32. Failing onsite sewage systems contaminate streams with fecal material (which is a human health hazard).
3. A significant portion of the watershed is public land, and therefore a larger group of people have an interest in that property.
4. Affected parties need notice of what is going on (i.e. notice of public meetings) in order to assure good public participation.
And 5. Landowners need to defend themselves from groups that try to restrict them.
6. There is a need to integrate the future use of the watershed in such a manner as to allow for reasonable development while not infringing upon property owners’ rights.
24. We need to develop a watershed-based plan that makes use of the best scientific data, as well as the best watershed plans from other communities, that will provide the best chance to protect the Greater Bonne Femme Watershed.
22. Water quality should be protected without putting a strict ban on development.
9. Urbanization can cause water quality degradation in streams.
8. There is higher and more frequent flooding than used to occur for a given amount of rain, bringing in garbage and moving sand bars; this also causes aquatic habitat destruction and subsequent lower low flows.
25. Much of the stream can be protected with a buffering situation. Other portions of the stream would not likely be sufficiently protected with any amount of buffering.
29. Erosion problems and stormwater need to be addressed in existing developed areas.
13. Small acreage landowners need to address the issue of erosion from overgrazed horse pastures (sometimes to the extreme of being bare).
45. Livestock have open access to streams, which accelerates streambank erosion and increases fecal bacterial concentrations in the streams.
44. Excess agricultural chemicals and nutrients are emitted to streams, thereby polluting them.
14. Erosion in road right of ways is a serious problem that needs to be addressed on both public and private land.
15. Many BMP’s have been installed on crop and pasture land in the watershed but there are still some areas that will always need work to maintain exceptable erosion control practices.
2.B.2. Ecological/Public Interests
We have a number of outstanding streams in our watershed that are home to rare or endangered species and offer unmatched beauty and recreational opportunities. Many of the things we do, whether it is careless/over-development or environmentally-unfriendly agricultural practices, degrade the quality of these resources. It is critical for us all to take the necessary measures to protect these resources for future generations. Individual property owners may very well have to accept restrictions they don’t like in order to serve the greater good of the community. Relevant numbers are: 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 16, 17, 18, 20, 22, 28, 29, 31, 32, 39, 40, 43, 44, 45, 47.
11. The Outstanding State Resource Waters (Bass, Turkey, Bonne Femme, Gans Creeks, and Devil’s Icebox Cave Branch) demand special protection.
17. Much of this watershed is particularly environmentally sensitive because of the high number of karst structures (sinkholes, caves, springs, and losing streams) that it has; this makes the watershed very vulnerable to increased levels of contaminants and stormwater runoff.
16. It is important to protect the unique biological diversity (plant and animal) in the watershed.
7. Devil’s Icebox Cave Branch is getting muddier.
10. Endangered species could become eliminated from within the watershed.
39. Recreational use and enjoyment of public lands (RockBridge and Three Creeks) is at stake.
40. Educational opportunities concerning stream ecology could be lost affecting over 2,000 students each year who visit RockBridgeMemorialState Park.
31. It is important never to see a sign posted warning people to stay out of a stream because of the quality of the water.
18. It is important to have plentiful drinking water that is of good quality, therefore it needs to be protected.
32. Failing onsite sewage systems contaminate streams with fecal material (which is a human health hazard).
43. Agriculture-related soil erosion causes problems.
44. Excess agricultural chemicals and nutrients are emitted to streams, thereby polluting them.
45. Livestock have open access to streams, which accelerates streambank erosion and increases fecal bacterial concentrations in the streams.
12. Potential exists for a toxic spill that could negatively impact a stream.
8. There is higher and more frequent flooding than used to occur for a given amount of rain, bringing in garbage and moving sand bars; this also causes aquatic habitat destruction and subsequent lower low flows.
9. Urbanization can cause water quality degradation in streams.
20. Impervious surfaces can degrade streams and there is no clear science indicating they can be fully mitigated; therefore, in order to protect streams, impervious cover needs to be addressed in any standards.
29. Erosion problems and stormwater need to be addressed in existing developed areas.
47. Farms that use good agricultural practices are a benefit to the watershed.
22. Water quality should be protected without putting a strict ban on development.
28. Development should be encouraged in less environmentally sensitive areas and discouraged in more environmentally sensitive areas.
2.B.3. How to Achieve Balance
This section organizes the issues that address how to solve some of the issues brought up in sections 2.B.1 and 2.B.2. We should be able to come up with a balanced approach in our community plans and our zoning regulations by developing an educational program, backed by ordinances (founded on science, facts, and community values) that protect natural resources, promotes economic growth and preserves rights of property owners. The issues are: 4, 5, 6, 15, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 41, 42, 46.
6. There is a need to integrate the future use of the watershed in such a manner as to allow for reasonable development while not infringing upon property owners’ rights.
5. Landowners need to defend themselves from groups that try to restrict them.
4. Affected parties need notice of what is going on (i.e. notice of public meetings) in order to assure good public participation.
21. Boone County, and the Cities of Columbia and Ashland, need to develop good stormwater management plans and ordnances in order to set good standards for the future development of this watershed; the standards should be meaningful (and not arbitrary), and designed so that going into a project everyone knows what the rules are.
23. Some flexibility of recommendations and standards is needed.
24. We need to develop a watershed-based plan that makes use of the best scientific data, as well as the best watershed plans from other communities, that will provide the best chance to protect the Greater Bonne Femme Watershed.
22. Water quality should be protected without putting a strict ban on development.
26. County zoning encourages development.
27. Development should be given incentives to occur in areas with adequate infrastructure and discouraged in less suitable areas.
28. Development should be encouraged in less environmentally sensitive areas and discouraged in more environmentally sensitive areas.
46. There is a need for a farmland preservation program since many people value open land and green space.
20. Impervious surfaces can degrade streams and there is no clear science indicating they can be fully mitigated; therefore, in order to protect streams, impervious cover needs to be addressed in any standards.
29. Erosion problems and stormwater need to be addressed in existing developed areas.
19. It is important to have standards not based on impervious cover, but on Best Management Practices (BMPs); there is science indicating impervious cover can be mitigated.
30. Guidelines for installing and maintaining BMP’s need to be established. SWCD, NRCS, MDC, DNR already have existing specifications for many practices.
15. Many BMP’s have been installed on crop and pasture land in the watershed but there are still some areas that will always need work to maintain acceptable erosion control practices.
25. Much of the stream can be protected with a buffering situation. Other portions of the stream would not likely be sufficiently protected with any amount of buffering.
42. Maintaining agricultural productivity is important.
36. Facts and data should lead process, not biased opinion.
37. It is important not to base decisions on studies that have not had some type of review by a board of peers.
34. There is a need to track sources of contaminants (i.e. microbial source tracking) in order to base long terms plans on good information and not guesses.
32. Failing onsite sewage systems contaminate streams with fecal material (which is a human health hazard).
38. There is a need to educate about why better practices are important to conserve resources, and about the differences between loess and karst.
41. It is important to educate people about the issues and rights of land owners within the watershed.
35. Good mapping of sinkholes is needed.
33. Science is inexact.
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